New Joint Commission ‘Revised Requirements for Diagnostic imaging Services’ (USA) expect more from hospitals concerning radiology dose. Effective July 1st, 2015, hospitals must track, record, and improve X-ray dose performance against external benchmarks. In Europe, new regulations are expected to be in place by 2018. While the July 1st deadline is just around the corner, your hospital still has time to prepare if you start now. Failure to meet these standards may have potential repercussions, including accreditation risk and associated revenue loss.
Joint Commission Standards Gap Analysis Tool
Conducting a gap analysis is a key step in developing and improving your dose management program to assist your organization in complying with Joint Commission requirements. We’ve developed a useful tool to help you compare your current practices against these new requirements and define corrective action.
Radiation safety standards*
The Joint Commission has proposed some significant radiology process flow and quality performance standards that may require new ways of working for some healthcare providers, specifically regarding education requirements, equipment calibration, and data review. We’ve selected and summarized the key elements below and offered some insight into what you might consider.
Be a leader in dose management
The end goal for all of these requirements is to drive toward a more individualized treatment plan for patients, review and analyze dose data, and benchmark your facility against peers. Adhering to these requirements in clinical practice will help establish a cornerstone for an effective radiation protection program in your radiology department.
* Joint Commission Revised Requirements for Diagnostic Imaging Services. Issued January 9, 2015. Effective July 1, 2015 ** Zucker, Evan J., et al, Radiologist Compliance With California CT Dose Reporting Requirements: A Single-Center Review of Pediatric Chest CT, American Roentgen Ray Society, AJR:204, April 2015
